Disclosure: I was invited by the Tri-State Ford Dealers to attend this event. I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. All thoughts and opinions about the awesomeness of this event are strictly my own.
If you’re a New Yorker, you know there is amazing food all over the city… but Saturday night’s “Best of the West,” the culminating event of the “New Taste of the Upper West Side” might just crown the UWS as king.
If you’re not familiar with “The New Taste of the Upper West Side” you HAVE to keep an eye out for it next year. This event is seriously NOT to be missed. Here’s why:
GoodAMAZING food. I’m talking melt in your mouth burgers and orgasmic gnocchi…Yes, I just said that… I even tweeted that too:
Omg if I had to describe #newtasteofuws food in one word: orgasmic — like this gnocchi from @TheSmithNYC #fordfoodie pic.twitter.com/VFRtuPzvCf
— Diana aka LadydeeLG (@dianalimongi) May 31, 2011
- Awesome ambiance… Another awesome thing about this event is the laid back vibe… it was comfortable to walk around and taste everything… no huge lines, no one trying to squeeze in, no crazy waits like other events… white sofas where you could relax while eating or drinking your little heart out.
- It’s all for a good cause! Proceeds go to the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District and they help do things like provide meals for the home bound, improve parks and streets, and provide nutritional education in schools.
Not only did I have have the opportunity to taste food from delicious restaurants (Carmine’s!
Calle Ocho! Rosa Mexicano! Cesca! I could go on and on) in one night, but I also had the opportunity to meet two amazingly talented French chefs, Daniel Boulud and Monsieur Chocolate, Jacques Torres. If you haven’t heard of them… you can Google them as soon as you are done reading this post; but here’s what is important to know about them: They’re French. (therefore) They make succulent food. That is all.
Daniel Boulud was the honoree of the night and asked people to donate a tweet using the hashtag “#citymealsDaniel and Ford would donate $5 for every tweet sent out… As you can imagine, I tweeted a whole lot… and instagrammed and facebooked; all while eating and drinking and moving around to live music. (The band was great! ) Not only did Daniel Boulud support City Meals on Wheels, but he also gave out copies of his new book “My French Cuisine.” … I got my own autographed copy (Thanks again, Ford!) but now I’m feeling the pressure as Hubby will expect me to try these amazing recipes… (side note… my hubby is French… so the pressure is real.)
In between the dancing, eating, drinking and socializing with my new friends Daniel and Jacques, I checked out the new Ford cars that were on display. I was really excited to do this because I dream of getting a new car so that I can pack up and go wherever my heart desires… as a city gal, usually I don’t mind not having a car… but when the nice weather comes, I really wish we had one. I especially liked the Ford Fusion… it’s a beauty. The Ford Escape was also on display… something that is so cool about having a car that you can plug into your wall!
I’d like to thank Ford for inviting me to this fab event. It was the perfect night out, and when you’re a mom, you know those are rare and are so coveted! It was definitely a treat to eat good food and meet Monsieur Boulud and Monsieur Torres. For supporting great causes, delicious food and making great cars, I’m officially a #FordFoodie.
I leave you with some pics of the event (note: bib might be required.)
Don’t forget to mark your calendars and keep a look out for next year’s event… if it is anything like this year’s it promises to be melt-in-your-mouth amazing.
